At the outbreak of war in September 1939 Bomber Command had seven Blenheim 1V squadrons at operational readiness, plus a further three in a group pool situation. Such was the pace of aircraft design that the original Mark 1 Blenheim was already relegated to secondary and overseas service.
Crew accommodation was improved in the Mark 1V with an extended nose section. In its original form the pilot’s forward vision was somewhat restricted. This led to a re-design with its distinctive scalloped effect ahead of the pilot. Defensive armament was increased with the provision of twin .303 Brownings in the dorsal turret in place of the puny single Lewis gun, and to provide some defence beneath the tail the Mk1V F version featured a reflector gun mounted in a fairing beneath the nose and fired by remote control.
Into Action
A notable first in the Blenheim’s career was a photo/reconnaissance mission carried out on the first day of hostilities. Flying Officer A.MacPherson of No.139 was the pilot involved on that significant sortie; and for his exploit MacPherson was awarded the DFC, the very first of World War II . On the following day 5 Blenheims from No.110, followed by 5 from No.107 carried out a raid on German warships near Wilhemshaven. Four aircraft from 107 failed to return from this; the first bombing raid of the war. The second phase of the operation lacked the element of surprise and was a portent of the risks involved in operating bombers on unescorted daylight missions
Battle of France
Over the following two years the Blenheim squadrons were in the forefront of the daylight-bombing offensive, initially in the abortive Norwegian campaign, and with possibly their greatest trial during the Battle of France. On 10 May 1940 the anticipated German offensive was unleashed against France and the Low Countries. In a matter of days, ground forces had over-run the vaunted Maginot Line and were across the River Meuse in strength. In a vain attempt to stem the onslaught the Blenheim units were hurled into the fray, and like the Fairey Battle units based in France they suffered heavy losses. Following the collapse of France and Germany’sfailure in the Battle of Britain, Bomber Command began a series of daylight raids over occupied Europe. Once more it was the Blenheim units that carried the offensive throughout 1940 and into 1941, and again it was a period of heavy losses.
Anti-shipping Strikes
Germany’s invasion of Russia took place in June of that year; and in an attempt to draw Luftwaffe elements away from the Eastern Front, Bomber Command was ordered to apply maximum pressure in day and night operations on Western Europe. It fell to the Blenheim units to pursue these daylight missions, and equally hazardous were the anti-shipping strikes in the English Channel and Bay of Biscay. The besieged and battered island of Malta was also a base for several Blenheim units, and despite the inevitable heavy losses they accounted for a remarkable amount of enemy shipping. It was during this period that W/Cdr.Hughie Edwards of 105 Sqdrn was awarded the Victoria Cross.
Final Operations
Blenheim IVs made their final operation with Bomber Command in August 1942, and were then supplanted by Douglas Bostons and De Havilland Mosquitoes. Overseas they continued to operate for a further period with RAF and Free French units. The Blenheim proved to be not the most effective of weapons but it should be regarded as a type with which the RAF gained much experience in daylight operations. Those hard-won lessons proved to be of inestimable value in the later war years. In 1942 its successor the Blenheim V became operational in the North African theatre. It proved to be unequal to the rigours of combat and was shortly replaced by the Martin Baltimore when those squadrons began operations in Italy.
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